Monthly Archives: January 2013

Today is our last full day in Africa. We’ve experienced so much – from wine tours to scenic drives to leopard, giraffe, lion, rhino, and elephant encounters – that it feels like we’ve been here for a lifetime. Yet, it’s been so magical that it feels as if no time has passed at all.

We’ve been completely present here in Africa – no email, no Facebook, no cell phones. This is the longest period of time I’ve been “unplugged” and yet, I feel entirely connected.

We began our day with an excursion to Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world. The width, in conjunction with the height, of Victoria Falls forms the largest sheet of falling water in the world. The spray from the falls often rises more than 1,300 feet. We’ve been able to see the spray from miles away since we’ve been in Zimbabwe.

The falls truly are spectacular. We walked about a mile and saw the continuous flow of water the entire length of our walk. In some places it felt like the water was pouring uncontrollably over the edge. In other places, the flow felt more controlled, more consistent.

Feeding into the falls is the Zambezi River, which looks like a huge, still, flat, body of water. . . until it reaches the edge and forms Victoria Falls.

We saw a surprising number of people tempting fate, ignoring the danger warnings, and hanging near the edge of the viewing points. I didn’t experience any fear, but I do have great respect for the power of nature. Watching an elephant knock down a tree directly in front of us and hearing a lion’s roar from nearly 8 kilometers away – all in less than 24 hours – gave me an even greater reverence for nature.

We spent a decent amount of time at Victoria Falls. I found myself spontaneously meditating several times. The sound of the water, along with the balance of beauty and strength, absorbed me. The quietness of my mind was punctuated by the sound of water crashing into the river below.

We learned about geographic changes to the falls in the past, as well as some forthcoming. Each time an island or piece of land falls down with the force of the falls, it changes the landscape and flow patterns of the water. It can take many lifetimes for this to occur, but as our guide described the developments, it was easy to look out at the falls and clearly see what he was describing.

After getting sufficiently soaked from the spray of the falls, we turned to head back to the lodge. On our way out of Victoria Falls park, we came across a large troop of Baboons. We didn’t seen any of the infamous, mischievous Baboons when we were in Cape Town and those we saw during our stay at Lion Sands were not in direct contact with humans. The baboons at Victoria Falls park have a lot of contact with humans and therefore can be quite. . . interesting.

We hadn’t expected to see the baboons, so I was surprised to turn the corner and see a gigantic male, lying spread eagle, with a smile on his face, taking care of some sexual urges, adjacent to the sidewalk. As I turned my head, I saw we were surrounded by baboons. Some of them jumped from tree to tree as we walked by, others approached us on the sidewalk. One baboon was not happy about having his picture taken and jumped out of a tree toward the head of the woman who had a camera in his face.

We left the baboons and boarded our van back to the lodge. As usual, my friend and I weren’t ready to go back to the hotel, so we asked the driver to drop us off at the artists village. The moment we stepped off the van, we were surrounded by artists showing us their works.

I met a man named J.J. who carved a beautiful bird statue out of stone. The man next to him had made various stone sculptures including elephants, leopards, figurines. I wanted to purchase dozens of them. Speaking to the artists and seeing the results of their hard work was amazing. I envisioned carrying my luggage, which had already increased by one duffle bag, during the remaining three flights. Unfortunately, I had to be selective with my purchases.

I bought two stone statues and then went inside a building where dozens of women were selling goods. Some locals had advised us to support the women as much as possible because “they’re the ones who take care of and feed the children.” We took their advice to heart and spent a great deal of time with the women.

I ended up purchasing several sets of carved wooden serving spoons, some wood dishes, stone dishes, and necklaces.

At one point, I looked over at my friend and laughed. She had at least 20 handmade bags draped from her arms and was surrounded by women holding up dozens more bags. “Make a decision!” one of the women commanded, jokingly. My friend’s “decision” ended up including 11 bags and several other items she purchased as gifts.

With our hands and our bags full, and our wallets empty, we caught a ride back to the lodge. We laughed as we spread out all of our purchases on our beds. How will we get all of this home?!?

As most of our days on this trip have been, today was jam packed with activities. Fortunately, we had time to grab a quick bite and a cocktail prior to our sunset river cruise on the Zambezi. We’ve made some good friends on this trip and it was fun to be reunited with them during the river cruise. Everyone was in a celebratory mood, enjoying every last moment of our time in Africa.

When we boarded the boat, we light-heartedly asked for clarification about which direction we’d be traveling. Earlier today, we witnessed the force of the Zambezi River as it rushed over Victoria Falls, we reminded our captains. They quickly soothed us with unlimited cocktails and some appetizers.

As we cruised around the Zambezi, we saw a baby crocodile lounging on the river bank. We were able to pull the boat fairly close to shore so we could observe the little croc for a while.

As we continued up the river, we came across several hippos. Our guides informed us that we couldn’t get quite as close to the hippos. They reinforced what we learned at Lion Sands – hippos are very territorial and can become aggressive if you enter their territory. We watched the hippos from a safe distance and then cruised around the river some more.

We also saw impala prancing along the river banks and some birds we hadn’t previously seen.

By the time our river cruise concluded, everybody on board had more than enough drinks. Our next activity was to take part in a special dinner, featuring traditional African food, dance, and drumming. Rather than get dropped off at our rooms, we asked the driver to take us all directly to the Boma, where our dinner would take place.

We were the first ones to arrive at the Boma, so there was only one thing to do – have some drinks at the bar, while we waited for the restaurant to open. The remainder of the night was exceptionally entertaining. We sat at a large table, with the friends we made on the trip. At the instruction of our server, we blindly drank the most disgusting drink any of us had ever tried. We laughed at our ignorance afterwards. “We should have known it wouldn’t be good when he said, ‘don’t smell it’,” our new friend, Ben, reminded us.

We ended up turning the disgusting drink into a phenomenal people-watching game. Each time people sat down to dinner, we watched their faces as they too blindly drank the disgusting drink. It was hysterical to witness the domino effect of their expressions as, one-by-one, they tasted the drink.

The food was served buffet style and there was plenty of it. There were meats and stews that were new to us. Having been adventurous with the drink, some of us were a bit more reserved with the food, veering away from things like the worms. Nonetheless, there was great variety and we were sufficiently fed and hydrated.

As we neared the end of our meal, a group of drummers and dancers came out and performed in the center of the room.

When we finished our meal, they handed everyone in the restaurant a drum. Have you ever walked into Guitar Center on a Saturday afternoon? Imagine a couple hundred people banging on drums at the same time.

It sounds as if it could be painful, but it was hysterical and a lot of fun. It was amazing to witness how everyone – no matter their age – became a child when they had the drum on their lap. Nobody waited for instruction nor a “go” signal. Everyone just started banging away. Eventually, the leaders reigned us in and had everyone in the restaurant drumming at their command. It was a blast.

When we got back to the room, we looked at our luggage, alongside our numerous additional bags of gifts, and laughed again. We’ll pack up tomorrow. It’s time to get a good night’s sleep. We have 48 hours of travel ahead of us and tonight is the last time we’ll be able to lie in a bed until we get back to Los Angeles.

Leaving Lion Sands was exceptionally difficult. Our time in the bush was remarkable and enlightening. Being among the animals, observing their behavior in their natural habitat, with a knowledgable guide, was a spectacular way to continue to learn about and appreciate the animal kingdom.

There seems to be a lot of order in the bush. Everything these animals do and consume has an important purpose and is paramount to the survival of their species and others. There is no waste.

Things “work” in the bush. We learned about various animal calls that signal a predator is in the area. The waterbuck call we heard alerted waterbuck – as well as other animals that could be in danger – that there was likely a leopard in the area. Birds and monkeys also have sounds they make when they encounter other animals. There are many layers of communication in the bush, each working together as a system that feels more sophisticated than the internet.

Things appear to be more organized than we humans are used to. I inquired about the elephants: “Why does it seem like they have a predetermined plan that they’re all aware of and on board with?”

“Because they do,” Landon replied, shortly before explaining how elephants communicate utilizing various frequencies that we cannot hear.

The magnitude of the experiences we had in the bush makes it feel as though we should be able to overcome any challenges we face. If people begin to tune in more to each other and their environment, to communicate and cooperate the way these animals do, the world will be much better off. That’s something I think many of us know intuitively, but witnessing the potential every day helped solidify it.

Every now and then today, somebody would exclaim, “We saw an elephant knock down a tree!” – ensuring we all remember the mind-blowing experiences we shared. As we ventured into the city of Johannesburg last night, we wanted to make sure we didn’t forget our time in the bush. We’ve been supporting each other in this mission to remember the feelings, the lessons, the beauty, the grace, and the strength we’ve witnessed during the past few days.

We didn’t have to think about anything when we were at Lion Sands. All meals and drinks were included. We were told when we needed to show up for meals and game drives, and had plenty of time to relax in between.

The bustle of the airport, buzzing with holiday travel, lugging our bags around, standing in long lines. . . It was quite overwhelming. Our night in Johannesburg was a shock to the system. We weren’t ready to be in a city again and we couldn’t wait to leave.

This morning we boarded a flight to Zimbabwe. We’re starting to feel the impact of taking 9 flights in 14 days. Smart carts, customs, baggage weighing stations, passport check points, transfers from airports to hotels. . . It’s exciting at first, but as we near the end of the trip, there are times it feels exhausting.

“I’m so happy you’re here!” I’d say to my bags any time I felt the weight of carrying them around. I’m truly grateful that none of our luggage has been lost during all the shuffling. It’s been a good reminder that any discomfort we’ve faced has been the result of something good. Another flight equals another mind-blowing destination. Less sleep equals more adventures. I continue to remind myself of this until I’m once again overcome with the excitement of day one.

We arrived in Zimbabwe around 1:00 pm and checked in at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. The lodge is very nice, overlooking an active watering hole. We were still a bit rattled from spending last night in a big city and found it harder to settle in here.

After lunch and a cocktail we decided to embark on another adventure. We visited the activities desk at the lodge to get a sense of our options. We chose to take a “sunset wine train” excursion to the Victoria Falls bridge. It turns out this was a fantastic decision.

We had a wonderful time, as the train leisurely took us through a rainforest, while guides pointed out monkeys and warthogs. We watched artists carving wood and stone along the side of the train tracks.

When we got to the top of the Victoria Falls Bridge, we learned a bit about its history. The bridge was part of Cecil Rhodes’s plan to build a railway from the Cape to Cairo. The railway never made it that far, but the bridge still stands, connecting Zimbabwe and Zambia.

As sunset neared, our wine train hosts opened a gigantic bottle of champagne and poured unlimited refills. With our champagne in hand, we watched the sunset on one side of the bridge as a rainbow formed above the falls on the other side of the bridge. It was one of those moments that felt like a fairytale.

We marveled at the fact that we drank champagne in “no man’s land” – the patch of land between Zimbabwe and Zambia. We smiled each time we walked back and forth along the bridge, venturing in and out of two countries, while watching the sunset and rainbow over Victoria Falls.

We’ve been in three countries today – South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. Not bad considering we only took one flight.

This morning we embarked on our final game drive of this trip. It felt sad, knowing our time here is coming to an end. The adventures we’ve had seem like dreams. Even as they were happening, the experiences have been so magnificent and surreal, they were hard to believe. The mood in our vehicle felt appreciative this morning. As a group, we were quieter than previously, absorbing every moment. It was as if we were collectively trying to extend time.

This morning felt serene, the bush quiet following last night’s storm. The first animal we saw was a sleeping rhino, which further punctuated the stillness of the day.

Eventually we came across a troop of baboons playing in a tree. Last night’s rain water fell from the leaves as they scurried around. The babies were jumping from branch to branch until the dominant male determined it was time to move on. He rounded up the troop, chasing the other baboons as needed, until they formed a line along one of the branches. We watched them walk away in single-file formation.

While we were observing the baboons, an adult hyena came down the hill. One of the biggest misconceptions I had, based on documentaries and movies I’ve seen, is that hyenas are ugly, vicious animals. The babies we saw during our second drive were adorable, playful, and full of character.

Somebody else asked about the common bad reputation of the hyena. Landon explained that they’re quite nice animals, very social in nature. Like other wild animals, when it comes to basic survival needs, hyenas do what is necessary. Sometimes hyenas travel in packs, when they hunt or are fighting off predators – these are the images we often see portrayed in the media. However, our experiences of hyenas in the bush would portray them as calm, curious animals.

We continued making our way through the winding paths of the bush until Eddie signaled something to Landon. Eddie and Landon didn’t tell us what animal we were tracking, to minimize disappointment in case we didn’t find the animal in the end.

As we progressed through the bush, I began to smell the distinct odor of elephant dung. I had a feeling that we were tracking elephants, but we drove for quite some time before we spotted anything. One of the amazing things about having experienced guides and trackers is that they’re extremely knowledgeable about animal behavior, which direction the animals are moving (even once the tracks have disappeared into the bush) and how they’re traveling (group, solo, with offspring, etc).

Patience and persistence paid off as, one by one, everyone in the vehicle announced that they could see elephants. Landon kept driving, aware there were more elephants and ensuring we wouldn’t be in their path as they navigated the bush. When he stopped the vehicle we watched the elephants eating branches and leaves.

The elephants began to disappear back into the bush as they continued grazing on trees.

Landon turned the vehicle around, heading out of the area where we visited the elephants. We didn’t get very far before we saw a large bull feasting off a tree. The sound he made as he tore large branches off trees and devoured them, was incredible. His legs were thick, his feet enormous. He was just next to the main path, so we were quite close.

I took a picture as the large male pressed his trunk up against the tree. Having seen giraffes scratch themselves on trees, I assumed perhaps the elephant was relieving an itch on his trunk. This is another instance that highlighted how imperative it is to have experienced guides. Without saying a word, and before we had time to think about it, Landon repositioned our vehicle.

We then watched as the massive elephant knocked down the tree, with three solid blows to the tree trunk.

Blow #2:

Blow #3:

Thanks to Landon’s experience and quick thinking, we were well out of harm’s way as the tree toppled onto the road. We were speechless. The sheer power and strength of this amazing animal stunned us all. We remained for a few minutes and watched as he continued to devour the tree, the branches, and leaves, all of which were much more accessible to the elephant given the tree was now on the ground.

It was not a small tree:

After our exceptional elephant encounter, we made our traditional coffee break stop. We asked Landon if we could make the coffee stop quick. We explained that we’d rather have more time on the drive since it was our final run through the bush. He obliged, but warned us that we’d likely seen all that we were going to see this morning.

We carried on, and as Landon foreshadowed, we didn’t see much in terms of additional wildlife sightings. It was just nice to take it all in, the expansive land, the sounds, the liberating feeling of riding in an open-air safari vehicle.

As we were working our way back to the lodge, Eddie enthusiastically alerted Landon, “Leopard!”

We watched as the beautiful, and often elusive, leopard made her way through the tall bush. It was spectacular and a wonderful way to end our safari.

We had a few hours between our game drive and airport transfer and we wanted to enjoy them as much as possible. We were sad to be leaving Lion Sands and so grateful for the experiences we shared there. We brought a bottle of champagne, some water, and the game Bananagrams down to the river deck. We watched the monkeys play and wrestle as we sipped champagne and continued to appreciate the magical adventures we shared at Lion Sands.

Reineck pouring champagne for our toast to Lion Sands

We decided to play an Africa-themed version of Bananagrams, utilizing only words pertaining to our trip. We made up new rules and collaborated on the board, more along the lines of Scrabble.

“That’s not how you play Bananagrams,” exclaimed another guest. “That’s how we play Bananagrams,” we replied in unison.

When we concluded our game, we drank the remainder of our champagne, and headed to the lobby so we could be transferred to the airport.

As we drove out of the Lion Sands property – in a van much less comfortable than our safari vehicle – I was thinking about the giraffes. A giraffe was the first large animal we saw on this trip and we’ve seen at least one giraffe every day since. However, we didn’t see a giraffe today. As I was thinking about how magnificent and striking giraffes look against the African landscape, I commented aloud, “I’d like to see a giraffe on the way out.”

Within three minutes of driving toward the exit, we were greeted by two giraffes. The driver stopped the van so we could enjoy the sight one more time. The giraffes were the perfect bookend to our adventures at Lion Sands. We’ve come full circle. It’s time to journey onward.

This morning we again woke up before our 5:00 am wake-up call. Prior to arriving at Lion Sands, I mistakenly assumed it would be challenging to wake up so early. As it turns out, the sun begins to rise and the birds begin singing around 4:30 in the morning. Last night we slept with the curtains and glass doors open, so the sounds of the river and the birds, along with the morning light, came pouring through the screen doors this morning.

It’s very peaceful waking up here. The only place I’ve ever felt so calm is at the ocean. Tranquility increases with our growing experiences, as we continually witness the perfection of nature at work. Everything happens as it’s meant to here and there are no distractions to interfere with the experience. There’s no TV – what we witness here isn’t edited or planned. We are simply experiencing the grace and wonder of wildlife and nature. How it all “works” in the bush is an affirmation of life as a whole.

Although we were headed out on our fourth game drive, we never know what to expect. “What are you taking us to see today?” I asked Landon. “Whatever the bush allows me to show you,” he replied.

As we drove out into the bush, Eddie scanned the road for tracks. He’s constantly scanning the trees, the bush, and the road. He’s totally relaxed, but his focus can’t be broken. A few minutes into our drive, Eddie popped off the vehicle and pointed out the fresh tracks of a male lion.

We followed the tracks for a while, in hopes of spotting the lion. We “poked around” – as Landon often refers to it – for long enough to question whether or not we’d actually find the lion. Then, as we rounded a corner, Eddie raised a finger to to the sky. We all looked up, expecting to see another unique bird. Eddie and Landon laughed hysterically as we looked into the sky. Straight ahead, the male lion was resting in the road.

He was a mature male, with a full mane, the father of the Charleston cubs we’d seen during our first drive. Landon explained that the lion was full from a large meal and was resting while he digested. The lion lounged around for a bit and then made his way to the shade of a tree to cool off and sleep. He was gorgeous. I could have watched him lie there for hours.

We continued on our way, but not for long, before coming upon two cape buffalo. These two were grazing and calm. Further down the road we saw another cape buffalo. This third buffalo was a very large bull, standing in some bushes alongside the road, solitary. When we drove by he had a look on his face that I’ve never experienced first-hand with an animal. His look was territorial and serious. If an animal could say, “Don’t look at me. Don’t fuck with me. Don’t even think about coming near me,” this buffalo’s expression adequately conveyed it. It was a warning to stay away.

“That’s one buffalo nobody wants to cross,” Landon said, without slowing or stopping the vehicle as we passed. It was an important reminder that these are wild animals and we are in their territory. Having a good guide is not only nice, it’s crucial. It’s imperative to be with somebody who knows animal behavior and how to keep you safe.

We drove a bit further and came upon two young male rhinoceros. they are magnificent and look almost prehistoric. Each time we see the rhinos, I send out a silent prayer that the species is able to continue to thrive, that they remain safe from poachers. Landon said that more than 600 rhinos in the area have been killed by poachers this year. “That’s nearly two a day,” he added.

It’s extremely infuriating to know that people are killing these animals. It’s even more infuriating given the ignorant and senseless “reasons” these animals are being hunted. We were blessed to observe the rhinos for a while. It felt as though everyone in our vehicle shared enormous appreciation of and gratitude for our encounters with the rhinos.

Eventually, we pulled away for our morning ritual bush coffee and tea break. Eddie and Landon set everything up and started passing out our choice of coffee, tea, hot chocolate, orange juice, and smoothies. They also set out several morning snacks and cereals.

As we stood outside, sharing our perceptions of the adventures so far, Landon said, “the rhinos. . . ” Sure enough, the two male rhinos we’d been observing earlier had come down to check us out. “Not many people can say they’ve had coffee with rhinos,” Landon added.

As the rhinos approached, Landon made sure we were safe, keeping us close to the vehicle and monitoring their behavior. They walked around and looked at us from a distance. Their curiosity was tempered by their tentativeness, but we did share several special minutes together. The tables had turned – we were the center of attention and the animals were the spectators.

After we finished our coffee, Landon and Eddie led us on a bush walk back to the lodge. Along the way they pointed out elephant, leopard, rhino, impala, and tortoise tracks. Eddie explained how to tell the difference between males and females, as well as the direction an animal is headed, solely by looking at its tracks.

Eddie also introduced us to several plants and trees, showing us how they can be transformed into toothpicks, toothbrushes, and fire extinguishers. He explained some of the properties of elephant dung, from headache remedy to mosquito repellent.

Landon pointed out the dung beetle which makes impressive balls out of the dung and uses it for mating and food. “You see how everything gets used in the bush,” Landon noted, highlighting the impressive, natural ecosystem and cycle of life.

“Bracelet time”, Eddie announced. While we were walking and learning, Eddie had been making bracelets for us out of tree bark. He presented one bracelet to each person, specially designed to fit their wrist. Eddie’s thoughtfulness and generosity is another demonstration of the hospitality and kindness of Africa’s people.

We returned to the lodge for breakfast and then went our separate ways to relax before lunch and our afternoon game drive.

An hour before our afternoon game drive we heard the roar of thunder as a downpour began. There was no complaining as we’ve truly lucked out on this trip. We are here during rainy season and this was the first rain we’ve encountered. My friend, Heather, and I sat out on our patio deck, drinking wine, eating cheese, and watching the storm.

We were told the rain may let up prior to our game drive but it did not. I was pleased to see everyone in our group show up for the afternoon game dive, in the rain. “We didn’t come ten thousand miles to sit in the room,” said Ben, another guest and new friend.

Landon and Eddie passed out huge rain ponchos and we set out for a wet, adventurous drive through the bush. We our saw our common friends, the impala, first. All in all, viewing is considerably more difficult in the rain. The animals lay low and take shelter.

Eventually, we came across seven to ten cape buffalo, tucked away, grazing among the trees. We sat and observed them for a while. They looked truly majestic and at ease in the rain.

It was pouring rain, with thunder and lightening surrounding us. As we drove through the bush in our open-air vehicle, exposed to the elements, I began to wonder whether I was the only one questioning our decision to go out in this weather. Yet, as soon as the uncertainty began to take form in my mind, the excitement of seizing the moment and fully experiencing life took over. Before I ever had the opportunity to voice concern or a complaint, the words “this is AMAZING!” spilled out of my mouth.

As we poked around the bush some more, we came across a baboon family. The babies played while the adults groomed each other.

We continued to drive through the bush, amid thunder and lightening, down to the river. We spotted a fresh smoldering brush fire, sparked by lightening. The rain seemed to put the fire out, but we marveled at the smoldering trees.

The rain let up just in time for our happy hour drinks by the river. We stood outside and took in the beauty of the expansive landscape, reflecting on the journey and scheming for ways to extend our trip. I’ve asked everybody who works at the lodge if I can move in with them and they’ve all said, “Yes!”, but we know it will soon be time for the next portion of our journey.

In the distance, I heard a deep, open sounding, rumbling. “What’s that?” I asked Landon. “That’s a lion roaring,” he replied. Several minutes later I heard the distinct sound again. “How far can the sound of a lion’s roar travel?” I asked Landon. “Eight kilometers. It’s quite a distance!” he replied. The ominous sound of lions roaring in the wilderness of Africa is something I hope to remember always.

We jumped back in the vehicle after drinks and the heavy rains started up again. We were quiet and appreciative during the journey back to the lodge. This is our last night at Lion Sands and we wanted to take it all in.